BOWLS: FIVE of Mid Cheshire's finest will provide the backbone of the county's away team in the BCGBA Endsleigh Championship on September 7.

Cheshire are aiming to complete a hat-trick of Senior County wins and play South Yorkshire at Laycock Sports, Sheffield, and MLMRCA, Altrincham.

Gerald Merry, Stan Frith and Jason Cornes are all in the first block.

Their ties are: Matthew Bower v Merry (Hazel Pear), Paul Harrison v Frith (Owley Wood), Chris Kelly v Cornes (Castle Pte), Jack Clarke v Glynn Cookson (Wharton Cons), Paul Turner v Stuart Kellett (Comberbach).

Cheshire Juniors were beaten 150-113 by South Yorkshire in the Supplementary Championship final at Grange SC, Warrington.

Meanwhile, promising James Gurney (Farmers Arms) was beaten 21-12 in the first round of the national Junior Merit finals by eventual winner Callum Wraight (Shropshire).

Cheshire Merit champion Cornes joins the illustrious line-up in the Warner Holidays Champion of Champions at the Waterloo, Blackpool, on September 27. He faces Spen Masters winner Andy White in the £3,580 tournament.